The Origins of 3 Clam Pokemon & the Real Shellfish Behind Them

Clam Pokemon are mostly shell. All three share one category, the Bivalve Pokemon. Shellder's tongue stands in for a clam's foot, and Cloyster takes its spiky shell from the thorny oysters.

See all 3 clam Pokemon in one list.

Here are the origins of the 3 clam Pokemon:

All 3 Clam Pokemon

#090

Shellder

Shellder is based on a clam, with its tongue representing a clam's "foot". Its habit of moving by flapping its shell may come from scallops, which are related to the thorny oysters that its evolved form resembles. It also latches onto Slowpoke and produces a beneficial toxin, which may be inspired by leeches.

Its hard shell repels any kind of attack, and it is vulnerable only when its shell is open. (Our defense works the same way, mostly by not opening the door.) It stands 0.3 m tall.

Its Skill Link ability makes moves that hit two to five times always land their full number of hits, and an ability is a passive effect that works on its own in battle.

#091

Cloyster

Cloyster is based on a bivalve of the genus Spondylus, the thorny oysters, with a black pearl as its head. Once it slams its shell shut, it is impossible to open, even by those with superior strength. We have the same policy for our snack cupboard.

The numbers back that up. It stands 1.5 m tall and weighs 132.5 kg. Like Shellder, it can have Skill Link, so moves that hit two to five times always hit the full five.

#366

Clamperl

Clamperl is based on an oyster or a giant clam. Its appearance and its evolved forms suggest it could also be based on roe, the eggs of fish and other marine animals, and more specifically on fish that lay their eggs in empty clam shells, such as the Florida blenny.

Clamperl's pearls are exceedingly precious, and they can be more than 10 times as costly as Shellder's pearls. Ten times the price of a pearl is a number we refuse to look up.

Its Shell Armor ability protects it against critical hits, the lucky blows that deal extra damage, and its hidden ability, Rattled, raises its Speed one stage when a Dark, Ghost or Bug move hits it.

All 3 Clam Pokemon Can Have Shell Armor

Shell Armor blocks critical hits, and Shellder, Cloyster and Clamperl can all have it. Shellder is vulnerable only when its shell is open, and Cloyster's shell cannot be opened once it slams it shut. What they protect is a pearl. Cloyster's head is a black pearl, and Clamperl's pearls can be worth more than 10 times as much as Shellder's, which means Shellder carries pearls too.